h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Well my dear hitch-hikers. Time for another thrilling installment of Alice's Psychology home help guide...
Our minds when asleep are still very active and this is why we dream. Often we dream in symbol form. One theory is that it is the evolutionarily oldest part of our brain that is working when asleep (i think it is the cerebellum). It is almost that in this unconscious state our minds dream in a more primative form of language that is strange to us when we are conscious, ie. awake. For instance, dreaming of falling can indicate "insecurity" (or feeling like we are out of control), or dreaming of a large house with many rooms is often an analogy for our life, with each room representing a different part of ourself.

Similarly I find when talking to clients I see I can almost understand them better when I create a mental image or analogy of their issue. For instance representing their irrational beliefs as a balancing scale to represent one-sidedness. etc.

As a psychotherapist I have to undergo my own personal therapy. The other week I appreciated the effectiveness of using analogous mental imagery to represent issues in my life or abstract parts of myself. For instance I constructed a mental picture of my life path taking on the form of a plant, seeing my "roots" as my foundations, "new shoots" as new paths I take in my career or personal life, branches and a trunk to represent the core aspects of myself.

So, going back to dream imagery, I have found that utilising such primitive mind-language it can help one to understand one's life in a slightly deeper way. It works for me, try it yourself and see what happens!!!

Interesting concept. The only problem with trying to analise your own images and dream analysis is the remaining inner conflicts you have - It makes you blind to them and you are likely to reject the truth in favour of something else or ignoring their importance.

My Mentor used to give this analogy

You have a bus standing on you foot - You know how to drive but there is no way of moving the bus because it is on your foot.

You need someone to move the bus for you.

It is the same with the mind - you need someone as a catalyst to help you remove the problem, as you cannot see the answer.

I note the analysis of the symbolising you give is very broad, bearing in mind the reverse can also be true and the associations attached to the memory or dream/image can also affect the analysis.

Knowing some or most of the images meanings can only help if they do not conflict with your own conflicts. This is not to say that it cannot be helpful during therapy but outside, I consider it, not very helpful very much even if you had a complete list of symbols and what they mean.

I remember when going through my clearance therapy - I started off not realising what decending a hill and walking into water meant. Half way through my therapy I mentioned this to my analyst and she didnt confirm my realisation - only to say she used rain against the window - My problem did not allow me to see at first.

Strangely enough I played the tune called albatross as I drove past the sea - on my way to my session. I laugh at that now.
Albatross
Sea
Guess what repression I lifted

Better not, it could give others ideas

BTW
To find others who are interested in psychology, just put associated words in the 'Search the Guide' box - you will be surprised how many there are.

Why not put your views as a page/Guide Entry - I will look forward to reading them. You will also find it will lead to a very healthy debate as did the article I wrote on hypnosis. It was good and very friendly but be careful - remember that not all will see what you are saying and will pick up on points of contention, very quickly.

All the best
hypno